As The Bond Expands

The circulation of The Bond among servicemen is expanding very rapidly. We started by mailing issue No. 1 to about 10 servicemen. We sent No. 2 to 37 servicemen, No. 3 to 116, and No. 4 to 488 servicemen. This means that so far our circulation among servicemen has approximately tripled with every issue. If this rate of expansion continues, most of the men in the Armed Forces will be reading The Bond in a few months.

This growth reveals a deep resentment within the Armed Forces that is tremendously significant. In terms of stopping this war, one serviceman working actively, explaining its nature and causes to his buddies, is worth 1,000 people on a peace march, because the serviceman is working where it counts, with the men that the ruling class counts on to do its dirty work.

Servicemen who have seen behind the propaganda screen and figured out the true nature of this war have a great opportunity, and a great responsibility, to help other servicemen see how they are being used before it is too late.
There are many things you can do:

1. You can help make The Bond a better paper by sending us your articles especially if you have firsthand information about what really goes on in Vietnam. If we receive enough material we would like to expand The Bond to eight pages.

2. You can send us the addresses of other servicemen. Send us the names of every enlisted man in your unit, regardless of his attitude toward the war. We want to reach every serviceman, regardless of his present attitude. A man who fights in Vietnam is really fighting against himself, and it is up to you and to us to bring this to his attention.

A copy of your company roster would be most valuable. We will mail to everyone on it except the officers and the NCO's. The names of any officers known to be sympathetic should be checked on the list so we can include them.

3. You can send any money you can afford from your meager paycheck. As you know, we send The Bond first class to protect those who receive it. As the Bond expands, therefore, our costs increase very rapidly. Most of our money comes from donations. If each antiwar serviceman can send along a dollar or two or a few stamps once in a while, this will be a tremendous help.

4. Most importantly, you can and should spread a deeper understanding of the war and its real causes among the servicemen with whom you are in daily contact. Most servicemen already know they are being screwed, just by the way they are treated by the military machine. You, more than anyone else, can help them see the relationship between their suppression and the suppression of the Vietcong.

The Bond, vol. 1, no. 5

Library - Reading Room

As The Bond Expands